Bassinet mounting



R. HAYWARD BASSINET MOUNTING July 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 10, 1953 .1? 065/? .HZYM/Aep,

INVENTOR.

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July 3, 1956 R. HAYWARD BASSINET MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10, 1953 EEMEEE ROGER 1% YWQ/QD,

IN V EN TOR.

BY BMsSW JrraeMg/g BASSINET ll/IOUNTING Roger Hayward, Pasadena, Calif, assignor to Lundan,

Hayward & OConnor, Los Angeles, Calif a copartnership Application July 10, 1953, Serial No. 367,327

1 Qlaim. (Cl. 593) This invention has to do with mountings for infants bassinets; a general object of the invention being to provide a mounting and carriage for positioning the hassinet in any one of several different desirable positions with relation to the support on which it is carried and with relation to the mothers bed or chair. And the mounting is such that the bassinet may be moved to and secured in any selected one of its several positions quickly and with a minimum elfort.

As will become apparent, the mounting is such that the bassinet may be put in one position close to and in such relation to its support as to leave the table-like top of the support free for the work of a nurse or other attendant. In another position the bassinet may be located directly over the table support, which is desirable when transporting the bassinet from one place to another. And in several other positions, the bassinet may be variously angularly related to the support and to the mothers bed or chair, overhanging the latter from either side as desired and presented either endwise or sidewise to the mother, as desired. Due to rightor left-handedness, a mother commonly definitely prefers to have the bassinet at a definite side of her bed; and again, the side which she prefers may depend on whether she prefers the hassinet to be presented to her end-n or sidewise. The present invention answers all those requirements by making provision for all the relative positions at either side of the bed.

Other objectives and corresponding accomplishments of the invention will be understood from the following description of the preferred and illustrative embodiment that is shown in the accompanying drawings, where:

Fig. l is a perspective showing a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a plan with the bassinet in the position shown in Fig. 1 where the supporting table is left free;

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic plans showing the various angular positions of the bassinet with relation to the support and a bed or the like;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating how the bassinet is moved into angular positions;

Fig. 6 is an end view with the bassinet in position directly over its support;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 77 of Fig. 2 showing suitable typical bearing constructions; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

The intermediate support on which the bassinet is mounted is one which preferably presents a table-like top 20. Other than preferably having such a top, the support may be in any form desired. In the drawings it is shown in the form of a caster supported cabinet with drawers 22 and hamper 24. The supporting casters 26 facilitate easy transport and movement of the cabinet and the mounted bassinet to any desired location and position. The frame of the support may conveniently and preferably present a rail 28 in an elevated position nite States Patent G along one longitudinal side of the table top 20. The bassinet 30 is so mounted with relation to the table top that, when in the position of Fig. 1 which leaves the top clear, the bassinet overhangs the opposite longitudinal side 32 of the table. The rail not only presents a con venient hand-hold for moving the support, but also, when the bassinet is in the position of Figs. 1 and 2, they afiord opposed elements along opposite sides of the table which effectively confine an infant placed on the table.

The structure and framing of the bassinet itself may be in any form desired. As shown here it comprises a basket supported on and confined in a frame 42. The frame is provided with two transverse supporting members 44 to which the mounting links 46 of the present invention are directly pivotally attached.

The two horizontal mounting links 46 are mounted at one of their ends on the table top 20 to swing in a horizontal plane about two spaced vertical axes A and B located adjacent the table edge 32 and spaced longitudinally of that edge. The two links are preferably of equal lengths, and their outer swinging ends are supportingly connected through vertical pivotal connections on the vertical axes C and D with the bassinet frame members 44. Preferably the spacing between C and D is equal to that between A and 33. That fact, together with equality of length of links 46 makes for symmetry between several bassinet positions at opposite sides of the mothers bed, as will be seen.

The bearing structures at the four pivotal points may be of any type that will take the radial and axial thrusts imposed on them. Fig. 7 shows a suitable structure that may be used on both the links. As shown there, the bearing structure comprises upper and lower endthrust ball bearings 50 and 52 on axis A (and B) between which the end of link 46 is held for swinging movement about the axis. Lower bearing 52 is sup ported on a spacer block 54 above table top 20; a cap 56 surmounts the upper bearing, a spacer sleeve 58 extends through the two bearings and the link 46 and the whole bearing assembly is held in place on the table top by screws 60 and 62. The lower race of upper bearing 58 is recessed into the upper surface of link 46, and an inverted cup 64 is recessed into its lower face and rotatively secured to the link, as for instance by screws or by being forced into the recess, so that the cup rotates with the link. A holding means, such for example as a set screw 66 mounted in a lug 68 on the table top, may then be set against the cup 64 to hold the link 46 in any desired orientation on axis A. As will become apparent, it is only necessary to apply holding means to one of the links 46 in order to hold both, and the bassinet, in any set position.

Another holding means, shown in Figs. 6 and 8, may be used either alone, or together with such a means as is shown in Fig. 7. When it is desired to transport the bassinet, as from one room to another, the position of Fig. 6 where the bassinet is directly over the table top is desirable; and for transportation it is especially desirable to lock the bassinet in that position. In that position the supporting members 44 lie directly over links 46. A simple yoke '70 swingingly mounted at 72 on a member 44 can then embrace a link 46 (Figs. 6 and 8) when the yoke is swung down and hold the link from swinging with reference to the bassinet. As that relative swinging always accompanies any swinging of the link with reference to the table, the bassinet is then locked in position with relation to the table. When out of use, simple friction in its swinging mounting may hold the yoke up (dotted line position in Fig. 6).

The other swinging end of each link, as shown for one in Fig. 7, is pivotally and supportingly connected to a bassinet member 44 by any suitable bearing structure,

such for instance as shown in that figure. The bearing structure there shown also involves upper and lower end-thrust bearings 80 and 82 whose opposed races are recessed into link 46, and the whole bearing structure mounted on the under side of 44 by spacer sleeve 84 and screws 86 and 88.

Considering now the several positions relative to the table top into which the bassinet may be placed, it will first be noted that the bassinet may be moved be tween the positions of Figs. 1, 2 and of Fig. 6 by swinging motions of the supporting links in which the links are always mutually parallel and all the bassinet positions are mutually parallel. The bassinet in such movement is simply translated on a circular path.

Consider next Fig. 5. In the position there shown in full lines the two links are in alignment, with the pivot axis A, C, B and D all located on a single linea relative position that can be called dead center. From such a relative position one link 46 can be swung in either rotative direction while the other link is swung in the opposite rotative direction. For instance Fig. shows the link that carries pivot D swung clockwise from dead center and the link that carries pivot C swung counter-clockwise from dead center. The bassinet is thus placed in an angular position with reference to the table top. That angular position, shown in broken lines and designated 30a, is one in which the bassinet is rotated clockwise with reference to the full line position parallel to the table edge.

But if the link carrying D is rotated counter-clockwise from dead center while that carrying C is rotated clockwise, then the bassinet will occupy an angular position rotated relatively counter-clockwise from the dead center position parallel to the table edge. Fig. 4 shows this latter angular position in full lines designated 30b and shows the former angular position 30a in broken lines. With the proportionate dimensions and spacings shown in the drawings (link lengths approximately one-half the spacings AB and CD) the two angular positions are approximately at right angles to each other.

Fig. 4 indicates at 100 a bed with its head at 102; or 100 might be a chair with its back at 102. In any case, with the bassinet carriage 20 in the relative position shown in that figure, the bassinet will be at the mothers left and presented to her endwise in position 30b and sidewise in position 30a; overhanging the left edge of the bed in each case. If now the carriage is rolled around to the position shown in Fig. 3, with the table edge 32 against the right side of the bed, then the bassinet is at the mothers right and is presented endwise to her in position 30a and sidewise in position 30b.

The several positions of the bassinet at opposite sides of the bed, respectively, are symmetrical with reference to the length axis of the bed, due to the fact that pivotal mountings A and B are on a line which is parallel to edge 32 of the table top, and that the two links 46 are of equal lengths.

The spacing of pivots A and B from the edge 32 is,

as shown here, less than the length of the links, preferably about one-half that length. With that provision, the bassinet overhangs edge 32 in any of the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 3, 4 and 5; and, particularly in such a position as that of Figs. 1 and 2, leaves the table top clear. And the links are also preferably of such length that, in the position of Fig. 6, the bassinet is approximately centered over the table top; that is, the pivots A and B are spaced from the longitudinal center line of the table by a distance approximately equal to the length of the links.

' Iclaim:

In combination with a bassinet, a mounting comprising a portable carriage presenting a table-like top having a longitudinal edge, two mounting links of substantially equal lengths, which lengths are approximately not more than half the width of the bassinet, a pair of pivot means respectively mounting one end of each of the two links on the top for free swinging movement in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, the two vertical axes being spaced apart on a line substantially parallel to said longitudinal edge and spaced from that edge by a distance substantially less than the lengths of the links, the lengths of the links being approximately equal to the distance between that line and the central longitudinal line of the table top, and pivot means on vertical axes carried at the outer swinging end of each mounting link, said two last mentioned pivot means supportingly connected to the bassinet with their axes at points approximately on the longitudinal central line of the bassinet and spaced apart on that line a distance approximately equal to the axial spacing of the two first mentioned pivot means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 182,480 Robertson Sept. 19, 1876 1,277,292 Checkley Aug. 27, 1918 2,280,913 Hummel Apr. 28, 1942 2,537,539 McLendon Jan. 9, 1951 2,645,788 Knoll July 21, 1953 2,653,330 Nolan Sept. 29, 1953 2,656,548 Blanke Oct. 27, 1953 

